


Grandma Was Right

by happyfacer



Category: Free!
Genre: Multi, Other, ahahahha, and haru isnt the mermaid, does this have a setting or time??, i literally wrote this while on the beach enD ME, no, while there are mermaids there is no merdick so if thats what ur here for leave
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4539150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happyfacer/pseuds/happyfacer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Nanase haruka grew up knowing that he wanted to live a life of water. He desired any job where he could see and smell the ocean whenever he wished. It had nothing to do with his upbringing; he grew up as the fifth generation on an old farm in Iwatobi, away from the coast. And yet, whenever they had to go to the city for any reason, the scent of the water nearby always make his skin tingle and he wanted with all his might to stay.</p><p>Haru is a sailor, and there are mermaids. Boom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Love of Water

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic five million years ago and am still working on it today! I haven't fully decided where the story is going yet, but we'll get there. I figured posting it here might help me get inspired!! And if I get pestered enough to finish it that might push me to actually do it lmao. ANyway!! Enjoy!

Young Nanase haruka grew up knowing that he wanted to live a life of water. He desired any job where he could see and smell the ocean whenever he wished. It had nothing to do with his upbringing; he grew up as the fifth generation on an old farm in Iwatobi, away from the coast. And yet, whenever they had to go to the city for any reason, the scent of the water nearby always make his skin tingle and he wanted with all his might to stay.  
His fondest memories were of the ocean; his father taking him down to the coast for small getaways while his mother was out. The drive was grueling; they had to share a caravan with several other farmers from the area. It took several hours, but he knew it was worth it when he would get his first glimpse of the glistening blue water before them. His father would clap him on the back, grinning. "You know you've made it when you can see the sun rise and set on a horizon of water."  
The ports were full with boats of all kinds from countries Haru had never heard of. They were beautiful, he thought, works of art just like his grandma used to paint in their living room before she died. She used to tell him stories of the coast and of the ocean, although his mother always snickered when she brought up the creatures beneath the water. She would say "Don't get his hopes up mother! The last mermaid spotting was by a crazy old man years ago, and whale hunting has brought the sea population to an all time low according to Mr. Sasabe". Goro Sasabe was their oversea trader whom they met with every so often to get their goods to other areas, his help got them through their low season. But grandma would always look Haru in the eye and promise him that those creatures were still there, just deeper than the human eye could see.  
He sat on the dock, peering over the side in curiosity. The water slapped up against the wood, splashing harus small eight year old hands with salt water. It was cold and harsh, unlike any pond water he ever knew. His father went to make a few trade offers, leaving Haru with a few pieces of dried mackerel and orders to stay on the dock until he came back. Haru stared into the black water, cautiously dipping his finger, then his hand, under the surface. He could see his hand, and it puzzled him that the water looked so dark even though it appeared clear to him. He wondered about the animals his grandmother told him about- man eating sharks and fish with sharp teeth- and quickly took his hand out of the water. He suddenly heard a loud splash near him, and looked just in time to see a hand holding his dried fish disappear beneath the water.  
"Hey!" He shouted, hesitantly swishing his hand in the water.  
"Hey, give those back!!" A few sailors looked at him strangely, and he lowered his voice.  
"Come on, I need those!" He sighed and leaned away from the water. He kept his eye on the surface, and in a few seconds he saw some bubbles and a fish bone float up. He leaped forwards, plunging both of his arms under the water.  
"You can't just steal my favorite food!!" He said with a whine. Luckily he still had a few more pieces of fish in his pocket, stowed away for the journey home. He had no choice but to eat them now, and he reached into his pocket with defeat. He thought about how mad his dad would be for losing them, and a few tears formed at the corner of his eyes (he was still young, and his father’s wrath was almost as scary as mother’s). He angrily bit into his fish, staring into the water. Suddenly, a hand reached up from the water again, groping the dock for what Haru assumed was more fish. Haru quickly grabbed the hand and pulled, holding on with all his might. It fought back, pulling Haru closer to the water's edge.The hand was much like harus in size, but a bit slimier and much more boney. He felt his balance start to slip, and his grip on the hand lessened. He was thrown back onto the dock from his own momentum, hitting the hard wood with a thud. He rolled backwards in pain, but even as it faded he didn't sit up. He had felt a hand like that before, when a homeless woman on the street grabbed his arm, begging for food. It was the same boney-ness he felt with this hand, and his wondered if this person was suffering just the same. He sat up and looked into the water again, a few bubbles floating up from whatever was below. He felt a hand on his shoulder.   
"Haru! There you are." His father said. Haru stood up but didn't look away from the water.  
"Is everything okay?" Haru didn't reply.  
"Come on, we'll be back in a second. I just want you to meet someone." His father began walking away, and Haruka felt a strange feeling in his chest. He quickly took a few more pieces of fish out of his pocket and placed them on the dock before running to catch up with his dad. He looked back, and the fish was still there. He felt his stomach rumble, but didn't go back for them.

"Okay, we'll see you later. Come up to iwatobi sometime!" Haru and his father turned away from the boat master and began to walk back down the dock. "Haru, were almost late for the caravan! How time flies huh!" His father laughed, but Haru was distracted by the water. As they walked passed where he was sure he was seated before, the pile of fish was gone and only a small wet patch remained.  
Haruka decided not to tell his mother and father. He rarely told them anything, and he knew that if he did tell them they would just laugh and claim it was just a daydream fueled by grandma's stories. But Haru knew it wasn't a daydream. He knew for a fact that his hands were wet and his stomach was empty. When the day came to go back to the coast, Haru not only felt excited, but nervous. He had begun to think maybe it was all a daydream, but if he could just see that dark mass of water one more time, maybe he would know…  
The caravan ride was just as terrible, maybe worse just because Haru knew what was waiting for him on the other side. They were staying longer this time, for a few days to transfer some money and maybe work the market, so Haru had more than enough mackerel for him and whoever lurked below the water.  
Haru could smell the ocean before he could see it. It was sharp and fishy, but also clean and open. He could sense the cast amount of space around him, stretching all the way across the opposite coast, wherever that was. He quickly wriggled his way through the crowd to the front of the caravan (he was approaching his final years of being small enough to squeeze through people’s legs) and almost cried when he saw the glittering water. He heard the complaints of those behind him, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was reaching the coast. Reaching the longest dock and dipping his fingertips into the cool water, filling his lungs with the salt they lay heavy in the air. Feeling it in his hair and skin, that was all he wanted. That was all he wanted then, and it was all he wanted for the rest of his life.  
When his father went to go find reasonably priced housing for a few nights, he gave Haru a few coins and told him to be back when it got dark. Haru nodded excitedly before running as fast as he could to the dock he had been at before. He found it quickly; it was in front of a huge building painted weirdly compared to those around it. He didn’t think too much about it as he ran down the dock, narrowly dodging around tall men in white uniforms. Although he was moving quickly, he did not run. He did not want to appear as another curious child in the streets just to be ushered away and lured with promises of candy. He didn’t want to be bothered, so he put on his best older front and did his best to blend in. Reaching the middle of the dock he stopped walking and sat down by the edge where he assumed he was last time. It was out of the way, but not too far from the main stretch of the dock. He placed two pieces of mackerel beside him, and waited. And waited. Haru suddenly realized he didn’t know what he expected to happen. It had been months since he had been to the coast, and yet he still expected the hand to come reaching out of the water. He sighed and dipped his fingers into the water. He wasn’t as surprised as he was last time, but it felt just as refreshing as he remembered it. He became entranced with the water, and before he knew it he had the water around his ankles. His toes felt free and weightless, and he moved a little closer to the edge to get more of his legs into the water. He remembered the stories his grandmother told him again, but didn’t let himself get frightened. Instead he moved further into the water, watching the water ripple. Before he knew it he had miscalculated the water’s depth and was now completely in the water. His feet couldn’t touch, and he suddenly felt very scared and cold.  
“Hey kid, if you want to swim there’s a beach that way.” The sailor pointed back to shore, away from the dock. He hated when other kids put up a fuss to authority figures and hated being called out, so he got out with haste. He pulled himself up and quickly put his shoes on before shuffling away, leaving a drip trail behind him. He was in such a hurry he forgot the mackerel.  
He moved towards where the sailor pointed. By the time he realized he had forgotten the Mackerel, he couldn’t go back due to embarrassment. The beach was the next best thing. The sun was warm on his back as he headed towards the sandy area, drying his shirt slightly. Once he reached the public space he found an empty space where he neatly folded his wet shirt. He was going to leave it at that, but then decided to leave his pants as well.   
He stepped towards the water, noticing that it was warmer towards the shore and got colder as he edged in deeper. He winced on a few rocks, but nothing too bad. He suddenly dived under, just like he used to do in the neighbor’s pond. When he came up for air his lips were covered in salt and his eyelashes were heavy with droplets. He hadn’t swum for a while, and doing so in the sea felt scarier but also freeing. He could only see land on one side, and he hadn’t even been around that one entire side. There was so much left for him to explore… So much left that he hadn’t seen… He looked up to the sky, floating on his back. The sky was just the sea wasn’t it? It stretched on and on forever and ever, and no one could measure its depth. He stayed like that for a while before he suddenly looked over to shore. He had floated much further out than he had been when he began floating, and was now very aware that he could not touch. He treaded water before trying to swim towards the shore, but he felt like the water was against him and he wasn’t making any progress. He felt cold again, as well as scared for what could be beneath him. For all he knew it could be thousands of feet deep! He felt tears forming, clawing semi-frantically at the water… When he felt something against his leg. There was no one around him, not even weeds like in the pond. He felt it again and sniffled, scared and lonely and just wanted to be back on land… When a head popped up next to him. Haru let out a small screech before the person put a hand over his mouth.   
“I’m not going to hurt you! Just don’t be too loud please.” The person was about Haru’s age, with nice eyes and brown hair. Haru nodded and he removed his hand. He was told not to talk to creepy men, but this person seemed his age and Haru wasn’t threatened by him.  
“I’m Makoto!” The boy said. He smiled at Haru, and he felt somewhat comforted.  
“I didn’t see you swim over here.” Haru replied. He moved a few inches back, treading water.  
“Oh, I didn’t come from the shore. I came from that way!” He said, pointing over the large expanse of water.  
“That’s impossible.” Haru said.  
“It’s not!”  
“Is too. You couldn’t have swum from all the way on the other side to here.”  
“But it’s true!”  
“How then?” Haru wanted to cross his arms, but instead he just looked out over the water. He couldn’t see any land.  
“You were the one who left the fish on the dock right?” The boy said. Haru noticed the sudden change in subject but didn’t push it. He was probably trying to impress him or something anyway.  
“Yeah. Were you watching me?”   
“No, that’s creepy!”  
“Then how do you know?”  
“Because I took it!”   
“Hey, that was for someone special! You can’t just take it!” Haru said. He tried to grab the other boy, but he moved out of his grip.  
“I was the one who took it last time! Don’t you remember?” Makoto said. Haru paused.  
“I do remember! But how did you get it?” He said. If this boy really did take his mackerel, then how did he keep his head underwater for so long?  
“I can’t tell you, it’s a secret!”  
“Come on, that’s not fair.” Haru said, almost whining. He was tiring himself out treading for this long, but Makoto didn’t look like he was struggling at all.   
“I can’t tell you! But aside from that, I want to help you get back to shore.” Makoto said.  
“You’re caught by the waves right now, so you have to work with them, not against them.” The boy showed Haru a few tips and they began swimming back together. He noticed Haru’s hesitance to become fully submerged, and gave him a reassuring smile.  
“I used to be afraid of deep water too!” Makoto said. Haru looked away.  
“I’m not afraid. I’m just not used to it.”  
“To get over it, I made up an imaginary friend!” Makoto continued.  
“I said I’m not scared! But that sounds really lonely.”  
“It’s not! You just have to imagine that no matter what, someone is swimming next to you, making sure you’re okay!”  
“But they’re just imaginary! They can’t actually help you…”  
“The stuff in the water is usually deeper than you anyway. Barely anything is up by the surface, you know.” Makoto stopped swimming suddenly, just as they had begun making progress. Haru stopped as well.  
“I can’t swim with you anymore. I have to go home.” Makoto said suddenly. He sighed and looked out to sea, not towards the shore. Haru noticed three symmetrical weird scar-like lines on the boys neck, but didn’t get the chance to get a better look when Makoto began swimming away.  
“Can’t we go together?” Haru said hurriedly. He didn’t want to part ways with him. He wanted them to swim together in sea forever.  
“We live opposite directions!” Makoto said. They had both paused, not wanting to continue on their way.   
“Well, I guess I’ll see you again right? My name is Haruka, by the way.” Haru said. Makoto’s face lit up and he smiled brightly.  
“Yeah! I’ll see you again, Haru!” He extended a pinky finger towards the other, and Haru didn’t exactly know how to react.  
“Come on, promise me that we’ll see each other again!” He gestured for Haru to also extend his finger, and he locked them together.  
“We’ll meet again, okay? No matter what!” And with that, Haru watched the boy swim out to sea.

Since that day he kept on asking to go back to the coast, but the closest he got to a yes was a 'someday'. He stopped asking when he knew he wouldn't go back for a long time. And once he stopped asking, the hand, the missing fish, and the promise slowly faded from his memory until all he remembered was the cold blackness of the sea.


	2. An End and a Beginning

When Haruka turned 17, his humble farm life took a turn. The last drought was back when he was twelve, and they were still recovering from their losses. No one predicted that another would come so soon. Dust storms whipped across the plains, picking up the dry land and plugging their well with soot and filling their lungs with dirt. The year was hard, and even harder when Haruka and his mother both fell ill, both coughing up blood and dark matter. They spent what they had on a nurse for their home and while Haru got better, his mother didn't. Their only hope was that what they had left of their crops could earn them a pretty penny if shipped overseas. They held onto that hope for months, even as the world turned against them. In this time, the dust storms increased in length and strength, worsening Haru’s mother’s condition. When the oversea trader finally arrived, their hope was crushed. Goro Sasabe told them it was too expensive to ship their goods, and that their partnership was unfortunately over. Haru watched his family crumble over-night. His mother’s condition was so bad that she couldn't sleep, they could no longer afford the nurse, and his father opened bottle after bottle of whiskey. Haru had no clue what he was supposed to do, and felt more lost than he ever had his entire life. As he felt that he was about to disappear into a dark black hole of despair, he thought he faintly smelled the ocean and his hand went slightly cold. He jumped when there was a knock at the door.  
"Is this the Nanase family?" A man was standing in their doorway, dressed in what seemed to be a Navy uniform. He stood straight and professional, clean shaven with odd red glasses resting on his nose. Haru frowned. The navy used to come to their house on the same day every year to offer Haruka a place in their ranks when he was 9 to when he was twelve. It all started thanks to their neighbor who let Haru and his grandmother swim in their pond. Once he learned to swim (which only took about an hour or so) they recognized his talent in the water, and ranted about "their genius swimmer" to almost everyone they knew. Haruka would just roll his eyes while his grandma boasted with them, and soon word got to a Navy Officer retiree. He watched Haru swim one day, and the rest was history. Haru always declined, not wanting to leave his family behind to work the farm on their own. As much as he wanted to see the ocean again one day, he couldn't just leave his parents like that. The propositions stopped after the drought.  
"I'm not going to swim for you." He said, shutting the door. The man stuck the top of his shoe in the doorway, jamming it.  
“Y-You do not even know what I am here to say, Mr. Nanase!” The man said in pain. His cool exterior was gone, replaced by a clumsy man with crooked glasses. Haru sighed.  
“We’re no longer asking for your assistance, Mr. Nanase. We’re more or less begging.” Haru opened the door a crack, just enough to let his face be shown.  
“I said I won’t.” He pulled the door shut again, harder. The man flinched, his foot beginning to crush.  
“We are willing to pay whatever your price is!” The man choked. Haru’s pull on the door lessened and the man let out a relieved breath before going back to his professional stance.  
“In exchange for your skills and water experience, the Navy will pay you whatever you like. Anything.”   
“The Navy hasn’t contacted me in years. What’s changed?” Haru said. Since when was the Navy desperate, let alone desperate for Haru?  
“That is confidential.”  
“Fine. Goodbye then.” Haru closed the door again and went to sit down when there was a knock again. He ignored it. He sat at the table and waiting until the knocks ceased and he heard the caravan disappear down the road. He then walked to the other room, stopping at his mother’s room when he heard voices. He leaned against the wall, casually listening in on his parent’s conversation.  
“Honey, what are we going to do… We can’t grow crops, we can’t pay for your health…” His father’s voice sounded rough and tired.   
“You must continue to live, my Darling.” His mother’s speech was gritty and riddled with small coughs.  
“You must not give up on me or our son. He deserves as much.”  
“Stop speaking like this moment is your last one!” He heard his father choke up.   
“Stop speaking like this all might end…”  
“It will. You cannot stop that. But just because I may be gone-”  
“Don’t say that! I won’t let you die! I’ll get as much as it takes!” His father was crying now, and Haru exhaled heavily, staring at his hands. Deep down he knew, just like his mother knew, that she wasn’t going to get any better. And that his father would break down without her. He heard her erupt into a coughing fit and left the door and the room beyond it. Without the proper help she would die. Without the proper doctor and medicine…. But they had no money. He possessed no way to save her. No way to save his family… Except for the Navy. The conversation he had with the officer suddenly came to mind, and he slumped against the wall.  
The next morning he silently set to work gathering provisions. A few coins (whatever he had left), food, a small lambskin water pouch, a carving knife, and a picture of him with his parents from when he was younger. He had been writing a letter the night before, and gently placed it on the table under a porcelain vase with a single blooming daisy he had found wedged where the ground met the hut’s wooden planks. Wrapping his grandmother’s old blue scarf around his nose and mouth, he silently exited his home and began to walk.

He walked for three days before he saw the ocean. He was covered head to toe in dust, parched and hungry, but as soon as he saw the sea he took a deep breath and readied himself for the final stretch.  
Arriving in the coastal town was a memory trip for Haru. He would round a corner and recognize a shop or a certain exotic fruit, reminding him of his childhood and more sorely his parents whom he had left behind. Using the small amount of money he had left he bought himself a stuffed bun and a refill of his water sack, half of which he used to wash his face. Upon asking a few residents he promptly found the Navy’s office. It stood out among the rest of the buildings, painted a stark white and blue against the natural browns and reds of the clay buildings surrounding it. The building was conveniently positioned over looking a dock which was packed with white and blue boats, all showing a navy seal. Haru felt like this place held meaning to him, but couldn't quite pinpoint why. Officers mingled around the area, not paying Haru any attention. Before going inside he walked down the dock, staring into the water subconsciously searching for something in the dark depths. In his daze he felt himself walk into someone and looked up. A man wearing the same crisp white navy uniform he saw just the other day was standing before him. He was incredibly built and much taller than Haru. He had dark hair and surprisingly bright blue eyes. He looked at Haru with disinterest, but also malicious intent. Haru took a step backwards.  
“Watch where you’re walking, foreigner.” The man brushed off his sleeve as if the collision would have made his uniform dirty. Haru said nothing and continued on his way, feeling the man’s eyes on him as he walked away.  
Looping back around the dock he began towards the large building. Upon entering he felt cold, as if someone had contained a blast of cold air inside of the reception room. He walked up to the only person inside, pulling his scarf down from his face to wrap around his exposed neck.   
“Can I help you?” The person said. Haru could not tell if the person was a man or a boy, not only from the height difference. The officer had a head of messy blonde hair which almost bounced when he spoke, and the most huge pair of glistening light eyes Haru had ever seen on a male.   
“I’m here about a… job?” Haru hesitantly said. He looked around the room, which he assumed was probably larger than a good portion of his hut back home.  
“We aren’t accepting walk-ins, we never have. Are you from out of town or something?” The officer stood taller to try and look Haru in the eye. He just turned away.  
“Someone came to my house a few days ago. I was just wondering if they were still interested.”   
“To your house?! I’ll go ask someone, stay right here! Don’t move a muscle!! Or even breathe!!” The man took a few steps down a nearby hallway before stopping.  
“Rei!!! Reiiiiii!” He yelled. Haru flinched a little. As the small man was about to yell again, a figure came hurrying down the hallway.  
“I told you not to call me by that name Mr. Hazuki!” The same man that came to Haru spoke to the smaller one before looking up at Haru.  
“Mr. Nanase?!” The man who Haru assumed was named Rei looked surprised. He quickly extended a hand.  
“I’m glad to see that you’ve made a decision.” Haru heard a mumble of //even if you did leave me standing in the rain// under the man’s breath, but made no move to acknowledge it.  
“I’m just here to discuss my terms. And why I’m wanted so badly here.” He didn’t shake Rei’s hand. The other man awkwardly retracted his hand.  
“What?! Mr. Nanase?!! This is who you were talking about?!” The smaller man said. Rei nodded to him and looked to Haruka again.  
“Excuse me, this is Mr. Hazuki, my co-worker.”   
“Call me Nagisa, and him Rei! No one else cares about the honorifics but him.” Haru nodded but stayed silent.  
“Do you mind if we move into an office to continue this conversation?” Rei said. Haru nodded and followed behind them.

“Have a seat.” Rei said, offering Haru a carved wooden chair. As much as he wanted to sit, he wasn’t about to relax in front of this man. He chose to stand and Nagisa took the offered seat. Rei then set a uniform on the desk.  
“I took it upon myself to personally pay you a visit. The Navy has been needing more recruits, and I took a look through our records and found you that way.” As Rei spoke, Haru nodded.  
“We’ve been suffering major losses recently due to.. uhm,” He coughed.  
“Pirates, of sorts. We tried taking in anyone we could, but it turns out that the general population isn’t one that knows much about how to swim. They rely on us for dealing with the water and the threats that come with living on the coast. With the recorded losses we face we can’t waste the time teaching people. In the record it was said that you had unique swimming abilities, although the file was quite old. I couldn’t pass it up.” Rei seemed to have finished speaking, and Haru took a moment to collect himself.   
“You said that if I joined, you would pay anything I wanted.” He said. Rei gulped.  
“Yes, but nothing that could do more harm than good-”  
“I would like a 24 hour nurse and a steady income sent to my family. You know the address.” He thought before continuing.  
"You know you've made it when you can see the sun rise and set on a horizon of water."  
“I would also like housing. One with an ocean view any time of day.” With that he took the uniform and directed himself towards Nagisa.  
“Where are the nearest showers?”

Haru changed into his uniform after his shower, gritting his teeth at how constricting it felt. He yawned before exiting, bumping into someone on the way out.  
“Hey, don’t be disrespectful officer.” The man said. Haru lazily looked up, realizing that this was the same man he had bumped into before. He shrugged before continuing out when he felt a hand roughly pull on his shoulder.  
“Don’t just ignore me, subordinate.” Haru brushed off his hand and exited. 

Every week a fraction of Haruka’s pay was sent to his parents. He would send them personally, occasionally writing a letter to tell them that he was okay. He never got a reply back, but he didn’t expect one. He never put a return address, not to mention he abandoned his parents without telling them. As promised, he also received a room with a large ocean view. He would wake up early every morning and evening to sit by the window and just stare at the ocean. He had been able to swim a few times, but not enough. Not deep enough, but it was unsafe with the amount of boats that went through every hour. He would watch the sunrise before dressing, usually grabbing a piece of grilled mackerel on his way out. He would take his time walking to the Navy office, stopping at a few family run stands in the market before it was too busy. During his time with the Navy he also learned that the man he had repeatedly bumped into’s name was Sosuke, and he was captain of the ship Haruka, Nagisa and Rei were all stationed to. At the station, he would usually just wait for an alarm to go off, in which the men stationed on a particular boat would rush out and try to fight or help, usually resulting in losses and long days. Their boat was never called. Sosuke said it was because they were inexperienced, but Haru didn’t understand how they would get experience if they could never work. No one had an answer for that. Once their hours were over, Haru would weave his way back home searching for different spots to watch the sunset. Some days he would just sit at home, but others he would find a jetty or hill to climb to watch the sun and the ocean. This routine continued for weeks before finally, finally, Haru’s boat was called. And Haru’s life was changed.


	3. Trouble at Sea

“Captain Sosuke Yamazaki you’ve been called! It’s urgent!” An officer called. Haru almost zoned out again before realizing that this was actually him, and he blinked a few times before getting up and going towards the commotion. Nagisa, Rei, and Sosuke were already there with a few other members of their crew.  
“Come on Haru! Let’s go!” Nagisa said, tugging Haruka’s sleeve. He brushed off the other’s hand, but sped up and followed them out onto the dock. It was around two in the afternoon, but the city felt dead and empty. Something wasn't right. Officers watched them head to their boat with sad looks and shaking of their heads. Haru did his best to avoid eye contact with them. The sky wasn’t blue like usual, but an eerie grey stretching across the side like someone had thrown a towel over the pure sky he knew. A sheet of fog lay out across the ground, making Haru’s vision feel blurry and disorienting. He hurried behind the others to their boat, piling in just like they did in so many drills. The fog wasn’t just on land, but also water, and the crew struggled with the right ropes and pushing from the dock. The crew was bustling, but nearly no one spoke. Haru hurried to his location and knelt down as the mast swung over his head to the other side of the boat. The ship began pulling away from the dock, and they were off. Minutes of silence passed.  
“A boat was lost in this area today, so be on your watch everyone!” Sosuke said from the wheel. Haru squinted out over the water, but the fog limited his vision to a few feet from the side of the boat. He could hear the water, but could barely see it. He felt his heart begin to speed up in his chest. He looked towards where land would be, but he couldn’t make it out. He suddenly saw something dark flick up from the fog, and his heart lept. He was little boy again, nuzzled up against his grandmother’s bosom in fright as she told him stories of what lay beneath the calm surface of water. It took a lot for him not to jump as he felt a hand grab him.  
“Do you see anything Haru? I can’t see past this fog!” Nagisa said. He stood right up against the rail, leaning over the side slightly. Haru pulled him back from the edge.  
“Scared of the water or something Haru?” He said. Haru just shrugged.  
“I don’t want you to fall in. Then we would have to waste time getting you out.” Nagisa just gave a laugh, but stayed away from the edge. Suddenly they ship lurched and both Haru and Nagisa tumbled to the edge, along with several other crew members.   
“What the hell was that?!” Someone said. Sosuke struggled with the wheel but it spun out of his control. The ship began to dangerously lean before slowing down considerably. The waves were far from choppy, and there was little to no wind to escalate the chaos. The only sound were echoes of crew members and the waves hitting the side of the boat. Land was no where to be seen.  
“Into positions! Three people help on upper deck and eight on starboard!” Sosuke’s commands were lost in the fog, but nearby crew members still attempted to follow them. Haru rushed to the wheel, getting away from the edge. He used all this weight on the wheel, but it didn’t budge. It was hard to believe that it ever did. Pushing one more time, the steering wheel suddenly gave way. Haruka’s small moment of victory was lost once he realized that it wasn’t him that had triggered the change, but whatever was holding onto the rudder. Haru has the thought that it was almost as if the boat was steering itself, but was interrupted when the wheel began spinning in the opposite direction and the ship tilted again. Haru rendered it useless at the wheel and began towards where he saw Nagisa and Rei fussing with rope on the mast. The ship seemed to be tilting from the bottom, as the deck was becoming nearly horizontal. He grabbed for a rope and missed, just as the balance of the deck was shifted again. His feet slipped out from under him and he was sliding down the deck towards the edge. His elbow caught on a loose board and he desperately hung on as he watched crew members slide down around him. The deck leveled for a second and he was able to get his footing. The deck did not shift again.  
“How many overboard?!” Sosuke said. He had tied himself to a rope around the mast.  
“It appears many sir…. But there’s no sign of them.” A crew member said. Haru looked towards him and the water. No sign of them? Wouldn’t they be flailing or calling for help?  
“What do you mean no sign of them?” The chaos had calmed a little, which made Haru feel more uneasy than he already was. Sosuke still had no control over the wheel.  
“Well, the water is silent sir.” The sailor was right. Movement and noise stopped on deck, and it was true. There was no sound of irregular splashing or yelling. A few officers hesitantly creeped to the edge, Haru being one of them. The fog was so thick now that he was surprised when the railing appeared in front of him. Before reaching the edge, he looked out at the water as far as he could see, which was barely a few feet. A dark shape floated in the water, and he squinted to try and get a better look. Suddenly the shape moved and splashed, exposing a long scaly tail. It disappeared in a flash and Haru scrambled away from the edge, choking out words.  
“T-There’s something-”  
“Land! I see land!” Someone cut Haru off. The fog had begun to clear towards the front of the boat, and a small section of rocks was visible. It wasn’t close enough to completely make out, but enough that it could be seen. Any waves or wind that was previously around te boat was gone, replaced with an ever eerier silence. Haru carefully made his way to Nagisa and Rei, gripping each of them. They looked at him with confusion and uneasiness, which reflected what Haruka felt himself.  
“There is something-” He was cut off again by a soft melody. He first assumed one of the officers was humming, but as the volume increased, he realized that it was coming to the boat from across the water.   
“What is it, Haru?” Nagisa said.  
“There is something in the water.”  
No sooner had the words left his mouth did the first man fall overboard. Many rushed to the sound, but Haru held back Rei when he tried to help.  
“We must save him!” He said, straining against Haru.   
“I told you, there’s something in the water!” His words were lost against the song which had increased in volume so much so that he couldn’t hear himself speak. The melody was sweet but oddly so, as there were several voices in mixed harmony. It reminded Haru much of the music he used to hear in Sunday mass as a child, but this song didn’t strike Haru as pure or holy. The boat began rocking again, and the boat slowly floated towards the rocky patch of land ahead. He saw Nagisa try to say something, but the sounds didn’t reach him. Looking away from his closer crew members, nobody was frantically trying to stop the ship like they were before. Instead, people were slowly making their way towards the side of the boat facing the rocks, as if they were in a daze. Suddenly, they began climbing over the rail and into the water. Haru and the others rushed over, watching the crew swimming towards the island frantically. Haru felt alarmed and confused and overwhelmed. What the hell was happening? He backed away from the edge towards the center of the boat.  
“Haru, don’t believe what your mother says. The creatures of the ocean are only lying in wait, not gone forever.”  
“Grandma, what kind of creatures are you talking about? Like, big bad monsters?”  
“Maybe. Who knows. We are only humans, we are not meant to know of everything that lives here on Earth, just as some species are unaware of us.”  
“Well, how do you know they exist than?!”  
“A few people do occasionally see them, Haruka dear. And even fewer live to tell the tale.”  
“You mean they die?!”  
“Eaten, swallowed, drowned. The whole lot.”  
“What’s the scariest thing Grandma? What’s the deadliest thing in the whole ocean?”  
“I may not call them the scariest, but surely the deadliest. They’re called Sirens.”  
“Sirens? What are they?”  
“They’re beautiful creatures, with the torso of a human and the tail and scales of the most glittering fish you have ever seen.”  
“You mean mermaids? They aren’t deadly at all!”  
“Sirens are often confused for mermaids, but if you confuse them you’ll be a goner!”  
“What’s the difference than?”  
“Sirens got their name from how their lure in their victims. They call with their voices, singing an intoxicating song to nearby sailors. Then they gobble them up!”  
“Really?!”  
“Really!”  
“How has anyone survived from that?!”   
“There are always exceptions. They say those who are not consumed by lust or those whose hearts belong to another can escape a Siren’s call.”

Haru leaned against the mast, breathing heavily. He had long since forgotten what the crazy stories his grandmother used to tell him, and had dismissed them as fairy tales. But this was inexplainable. The boat had picked up speed, and was now close enough that Haru could see figures sitting on land. Haru’s breath caught, and his heart rose to his chest as he registered the things he saw on the rocks. Just like his grandmother had said, creatures with the torso of humans were resting and could have been easily mistaken. Scales started around where their belly buttons would be, and the rest of their body formed a long tail ending in thin fins. Their bodies were all toned and muscular, decorated in varieties of piercings and jewelry. The females had their nipples and belly buttons pierced, while the males generally had glittering tattoos or face piercings. He did not feel the need to get closer to any of them, although many of his crew members apparently did.   
Scattered around the deck were officers on their knees, gripping their head in what looked like pain. The boat had stopped moving, Haru assumed that they had reached the shore. The swimming officers had also reached the rocks, and had begun climbing for whatever was nearby. Haru watched as one of the fastest reached one first. Haru remembered that his name was Momo or something odd like that, obsessed with girls and being popular. He remembered what his grandmother said about lust, and was not surprised that Momo was lured in, even if Haru had not fully accepted that these were Sirens. They did seem dangerous, but there was only one way to be completely sure… Momo reached for one of the mermaid looking creatures, this one in particular was female, with long red hair pulled into a high ponytail on her head. Her eyes spotted Momo and she gently grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer. He smiled at her, and in response she suddenly bit his shoulder. Haru watched as blood began to seep through the white uniform. Haru watched in terror as the boy’s shoulder began to bend awkwardly and ripped away from his torso… He looked away. When he looked back, Momo’s arm was tossed to another Siren and the original one was nuzzled into the boy’s neck. She looked up as if she could tell Haru was watching her. They made eye contact for a moment before she turned back to her meal, tearing at the boy’s flesh. There was a faint snapping sound and Momo’s head fell among the rocks.He still had a smile on his face. Haru’s stomach convulsed and he sank to the floor of the ship. As he regained himself, he noticed the last few of his crew were edging towards the railing. He looked up and noticed one of them was Sosuke, who was struggling against the pain in his head. Haru suffered no such pain, but didn’t dwell on it and reached for Sosuke’s feet, attempting to stop him from going over. He held Sosuke back as best as he could, but it was as if his captain was being pulled forwards. As he wrestled with him he tripped over a pile of flotation devices, sending them all down into the water. The action caused Haru to lose ground, sending them close to the edge. They were close to the railing now, and Sosuke suddenly stopped struggling. His eyes glazed over, all pain gone from his face. He smiled lightly and looked towards the rocks and Haru followed his gaze. Two male creatures had taken particular interest in the Sosuke, and had their arms outstretched. One was muscular but still lean, with shoulder length red hair the same as the girl’s. He had the same piercing red eyes with a huge septum bar and matching one his ear. The other had short light hair and a thinner body adorned in jewels, resembling some of the females closer than some of the males. They both looked incredibly beautiful, but they did not give Haru the same allure that they were obviously giving Sosuke. That might have been helped by the fact that their hands were coated what Haru assumed was blood, with long sharp fingernails and teeth. The smaller one made eye contacts with Haru and hissed, the sound covering the distance and causing Haru enough pain that he clutched his head. He was standing in front of Rin, so as he toppled over they both did. He plunged underwater, the water hitting him hard. He came up for air, frantically trying to get himself under control. He couldn’t tell if the dark shapes under the water were real or just his fear playing tricks on him. Rin had already begun swimming away, so Haru began in the opposite direction.   
He struggled to lower his heart rate, kicking off his shoes to help him a little. He spotted one of the floatation devices that had fallen earlier and grabbed one without breaking stride. He already knew that there was no way back onto the boat, so he had to hope that the creatures didn’t care enough about him to pursue. He began panting as he passed the end of the ship, but relied on his stamina to take him a bit further before using the device. The water was freezing cold, but Haru couldn’t remember when the temperature dropped in the air. The fog was thickening again and the rocks were beginning to fade from his view. His breath is labored, and he began struggling to keep up his pace. No matter what he did not feel far enough away. The water around him was smooth with no waves, and his splashes were the only thing making a sound. He took a deep breath, slowing his pace. He was highly aware of the silence around him, and that almost frightened him more than the potential attack of the creatures. His heartbeat seemed to vibrate the water, and his breathing seemed to echo over the surface. The fog surrounded him, only a bit thinner than it was around the rock formation. Haru let out a relieved sigh, but it caught in his throat as something dark flicked out of the corner of his eye. He spun around, speeding up slightly. He thought he heard a splash, but it could have just been him… His mind slowly slipped into panic mode, his body pumping with adrenaline. At this pace, he couldn’t last for even ten minutes. He knew that, but refused to slow down as long as he kept seeing something just outside of his few. As his body began tiring, the dark shapes in the corner of his eye became larger. He felt adrenaline and panic pump through his veins, his heartbeat ringing in his ears. The figures were fast, much faster than him, and had begun to circle around him. He was too scared to cry, and too tired to keep going. His legs kicked weakly, and his momentum slowed to a crawl. He did his best to appear smaller than he was, wishing he was anywhere but here in the cold darkness, anywhere but where the sirens swam around him, anywhere else…   
“Is this him?”  
“It has to be!”  
“Are you sure this is a good idea… The others might get mad…”  
“Brother said he wouldn’t let us get hurt, remember?”  
“Yeah, but he’s a HU-MAN. They’re bad right?”  
“Brother says this one isn’t though!”  
Haru opened his eyes (which he hadn’t realized were closed) to see what looked like two small children floating in front of him. One male, one female, probably twins, with matching brown hair and light brown eyes.  
“Ah! Ren! It’s awake!” The girl jumped, holding her brother’s arm.  
“B-Brother said not to worry, remember Ran?!” The boy tried to comfort her, but still looked frightened none the less.  
“Are you.. One of them too?” Haru said hesitantly. He couldn’t see anymore dark shapes around him.  
“One of them?” The girl said. They looked confused but didn’t push the issue when the brother suddenly looked at Haru urgently.  
“O-Our brother said to help you! He said to get you to the ships!” He said. It was Haru’s turn to look confused.  
“Help me? Who told you to follow me?” He said, backing away slightly.  
“Our brother! He wants to help you get away!”   
“Why?”  
“He said you saved him once, so he has to do the same!” The girl came from behind her brother, her curiosity outweighing her fear.  
“Me? I saved him?” Haru could barely comprehend what had happened in the last hour, let alone whatever these kids were talking about. Haru had never saved anyone in his life, let alone a man-eating Siren. These kids looked innocent enough though. His mind was suddenly filled with the sounds of Momo’s tearing flesh and he swam a little further away from the two children. They were far from innocent. He knew what their teeth could do.  
“Mister? Mister, we need to help you get away fast!” The boy said, nudging a little closer.  
“Come on,” He said, his voice now in a whisper.  
“Before the sharks come!” The boy looked around, a new fright in his eyes. His sister pulled her eyes away from Haru and scanned the area around them.  
“They could already be on their way. Come. On!” She pulled her brother closer to Haru.  
“We’re going to pull you to the ships, okay? We won’t hurt you, promise!” The boy said. He extended a pinky finger towards Haru, and it reminded him of something from a long time ago. He wasn’t sure when, but he was sure he had done this with someone before… He hesitantly extended a pinky finger, and they hooked around each other. The boy then let go and held onto one end of the flotation device while his sister held onto the other. They began to swim, and it was then Haru saw their long tails. He wondered why he agreed, but they were paddling him away from the rocks where he assumed the rest of the Sirens were. They made no sound, and before long exhaustion overtook him.


	4. A New Crew

When he woke up he was lying on a bed in what looked like a cabin of some sort. He groggily sat up, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling. He did not recognize this room, but knew that he was on a boat. He had different clothes on, not his white navy uniform. He went down the step ladder to the floor and inspected the room, opening a door to a small bathroom. He used it and found a small mirror, leaning his arms against it and taking a good look at himself. His hair was fairly disheveled and still slightly damp, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He noticed a few patches of stubble, and opened a small cabinet to find what looked like a fresh razor and toothbrush. Without thinking too much he shaved and brushed his teeth as well as washing his face with a hand towel. He felt slightly better and looked in the mirror again. He had nicked himself while shaving, and tsked at himself. He went to wipe it off when his mind was suddenly flooded with images of bloody mouths and hands and limbs and piercing eyes and an eerie song… He stumbled, slumping against the wall. He quickly wiped the small drop from his chin and took a few deep breaths before opening the outside door. The room had begun to feel claustrophobic and he needed to find out where the hell he was. When he opened the door he was greeted by a hallway extending to either side of him with stairs leading upwards and middle aged man who seemed to be guarding his door. They made eye-contact, and immediately reacted to each other.  
“Sasabe?!”  
“Haruka?!”  
“What the hell are you doing here?” Haru said, anger and confusion rising from his gut. This man said it was too dangerous to ship their goods, and yet he was on a boat? This man abandoned his family and ran everything to hell.  
“I could ask the same to you! We found you floating around our boat!”  
“You ruined my family, Sasabe. You took away money from us and that’s why I’m here. I left my family because of you.” Haru said. He made no move to release Sasabe from his angry gaze. Sasabe had begun to nervously rub his palms together, looking anywhere but Haru.  
“You know, I didn’t really have a choice, you see, so I had to give it up or worse things would have happened-”  
“I see you’re awake now. We have things to discuss.” A woman came down the hallway towards them, and Sasabe respectively bowed his head to her.  
They left the hallway together, going up the stairs to what Haru assumed was the deck. He was right. There were several sailors working on various parts of the deck, bustling around in small pairs.   
“This is my ship. We call her Freestyle, you know, the swim stroke.” She said. Haru nodded. She was a middle aged woman with short brown hair. She wore unconventional sailing attire, a large floppy hat and slightly tattered casual clothing. She seemed sweet enough, and it didn’t seem like anyone there was going to harm him. He relaxed a little.  
“My name is Miho Amakata, and I’m the captain here.” She said as she led him and Sasabe to a door leading downwards. A plaque on the door read ‘Captain’s Quarters’. He followed her, and Sasabe shut the door behind him. The room was fairly large, with a wide wooden deck near the back end. A map was rolled out on the deck, held down by various shells and rocks. Miho quickly rolled it to the side before she sat down on the other side of the desk. She gestured for Haruka to sit, and he did.  
“I’m not going to beat around the bush now. Just like they say, to beat around the bush is to say you want a rose and walking the whole garden to to the rosebush when is was right in front of you the whole time. Wouldn’t want our conversation to take a walk, do we? DO WE?” Miho said, leaning back in her chair. Haruka shook his head. He wondered who had ever said that quote to begin with, but didn’t think too hard on it.  
“Who are you, and why did my men find you tied to our boat asleep on a flotation device?” She said. Haru was silent for a moment. Were there really sirens? Was his whole Navy crew really...eaten? His mind’s eye showed him Momo’s head crashing into the rocks and he knew he couldn’t have imagined that.   
“There was something in the water.” He said. She leaned forwards, intrigued.  
“Something? Can you elaborate?”   
“These… Creatures. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. No one’s seen one in years.”  
“Except you have. Was it a mermaid or something?” She asked.  
“They weren’t mermaids. They killed my entire crew.” He continued. He couldn’t stop seeing all the blood, all of his crew members that were eaten by those creatures, all the innocent lives lost…  
“Sirens.” She said. She leaned back in her chair again. Haru was surprised that she accepted the fact so easily, or even knew what he was talking about. He nodded.  
“So where’s your other half?” She asked. He looked confused.  
“Your significant other? Your love, your soulmate?”  
“I don’t get your question.” He said. His soulmate?  
“Well, the only way to survive Sirens is to not lust for them. The only real way to solve this is to have two people who are so in love with each other that they don’t wish for anything outside of their relationship sex-wise. So for you to survive, you have to be in love with someone. So where are they?” She said.  
“I’m not in love with anyone.” Haru said. He had been on a date once, but they ended up being attacked by geese and the relationship never went anywhere. Miho began picking at her nails.  
“You don’t have to hide them from us. It’s not like we’re gonna kick you guys out or anything. We even have several gay couples in the crew, so don’t feel bad about that either.”  
“I told you, I’m not in love with anyone.”  
“Subconscious?” She said, looking to Sasabe who silently stood towards the door. He shrugged.  
“I’m not in love with anyone. I just fell off the boat I was on and swam away from them. They were eating people, who wouldn’t swim away?” He suddenly remembered the two kids who had dragged him here, but didn’t mention them. Miho suddenly looked up at him with interest.  
“You swam away? By yourself? By your own will? You knew they were Sirens?” She asked, leaning forwards once more. He nodded. She suddenly began searching through drawers in the desk frantically, with an excited look on her face.  
“Yeah, my grandma said something about them a long time ago.”  
“Sasabe! Sasabe, I think he might be who Gran was talking about!” She kept searching, and Sasabe stepped towards the desk.  
“You mean her prophecy? I thought we agreed she was crazy when she left!” He said, watching Miho toss papers around the room, looking for something.  
“Gran? Her prophecy?” Haru mumbled, shaking his head. He woke up yesterday thinking it would be like any other day. He could be in his small apartment, looking at the sun rise and set… He remembered the check he was supposed to send home today and sat up. He needed to send that check. His parents would die without it. He realized he probably wouldn’t be able to go back to that apartment for a while, and even if he did get back to land he would have to explain everything to everyone and it would take days before he could send the check. He hoped someone remembered to split his pay.  
“Aha!” Miho said triumphantly. She was holding a small notebook with a leather binding and clasp holding it together. She flipped through the pages before finding what she was looking for. She began reading from the page.  
“I have had a dream, and that is the reason for my sudden absence. I can’t ignore a dream like the one I’ve had, only a fool would do so. All I can say is this; One day someone will come to you with no explanation or reason for being there but his grandmother’s guidance. With eyes as blue as the sky itself and the gift of immunity such as I, he will come and bring peace between us and our friends who share with us the sea. All of our fighting will not be forgotten. Do not give up.” When she finished reading, she looked at Haru with tears in her eyes.  
“You’re the boy in the prophecy. You have to be. Eyes as blue as the sky itself? Gift of immunity? Grandmother’s prophecy? It all makes sense!” She sat at her desk again, suddenly looking very tired but happy.  
“All these years I thought maybe she was crazy, but I didn’t give up. I made sure we didn’t stop fighting…” She suddenly started crying, and Haruka had no idea what to do. Not only that, but he didn’t know who Gran was, or what her prophecy even meant. Or what fight Miho was apparently fighting, or what immunity he supposedly had. In the past day and a half he had realized that everything his grandmother said had been real, had watched his crew get eaten, got rescued by the very same blood thirsty creatures, and now apparently he was the answer to a prophecy. The fact that he thought his life had crumbled before was now a laughing matter.   
He was escorted to the deck by Sasabe, who told him to just “mingle around and meet some people” before he promptly shut the door to the captain’s quarters and left Haru alone. He awkwardly waited for a while before he realized that they probably didn’t mean to let him back in for a while. He wanted to go to the railing and watch the waves, but after what happened he didn’t know if he could bear it. Instead, he sat down on a nearby barrel and waited.   
“Hey, are you that new kid who they dragged up last night?” Haru turned towards the voice, and a tall muscular man greeted him. He had orange hair that was slicked back, and he had a very energetic puppy-like air about him. Haru noticed he had a striking resemblance to Momo. Instead of fully answering the man, Haru just nodded.  
“Welcome aboard then! My name’s Seijuro.” He stuck out a hand, and Haru was met with a very hearty handshake. When he didn’t continue with his work, Haru realized he was supposed to keep the conversation going.  
“Can you tell me about this boat?” He asked. He had no idea who these people were or what this boat was used for, and the captain wasn’t giving him any answers.  
“Well I guess you could say we’re pirates!” He said, laughing. Haru sat in shock. Pirates? He had been given to a pirate crew?   
“Hey, we’re not all bad!” He said, ruffling Haru’s hair. He shook off the man’s hand.  
“We go around looking for treasure, mostly those held in locations where Sirens are nearby.”  
“Don’t Sirens kill you?” Haru said. So this whole crew must know about Sirens and what they do. And yet they still venture into those areas and sacrifice themselves to those man-eating beings.  
“Why would you want to go near them?”  
“Well, Captain Miho picked most of us up from other pirate groups. She picks couples, and that stops the Sirens from eating us. She said that she only knew that because an old lady told her once, and she refuses to tell any other captains about how to get through Siren patches.” Haru was starting to understand a little better now. So each sailor had their heart already given to someone else, and therefore couldn’t get lured in by Sirens. Just like his grandmother said. And what Miho was told. Trying to avoid what conclusion he had reached about his grandmother, he changed the subject.   
“So who’s your ‘other half’ than?” Haru asked. Seijuro seemed fairly open and didn’t ask too many of his own questions.  
“Me? I haven’t met mine yet! I gave my heart to her a long time ago. Just believing that she’s out there is enough for me.” He said, looking out onto the horizon. Haru did not know how to reply. That was sad to the point that Seijuro seemed pathetic, and Haru almost laughed.   
“I guess it’s kind of a weird way to live your life, but it suits me and keeps me alive. And one day it will lead me to my brother.” He said, smiling down at Haru. He shook his shoulder and started working again. Some part of Haru knew that his brother must be Momo, their similarities were a little too uncanny to be a coincidence. Was Momo trying to search for Seijuro too? Did he die looking for him? Haru didn’t have the heart to say anything about his dead crew members. Especially Rei and Nagisa, whom he had developed a liking towards. They were dead. They were all dead, but he was alive and had no idea why.


	5. A Trade-Off

“Ren..? Ran?” Makoto said, swimming up to the cave him and his two siblings kept. His heart was pumping. If his two younger siblings had succeeded, he might just be able to see him again… But it was unnaturally quiet. Makoto knew that they would be getting into some sort of trouble or laughing or something, but it was silent. The cave would have been dark to humans, but he could see clearly enough to tell that his two younger siblings were absent. He began to panic. He knew he was risking sending them out to help Haru, but he didn’t think anything truly bad could happen to them. They were both strong swimmers, unless something caught up with them…  
“Are you looking for your brother and sister?” Makoto turned, seeing a figure’s silhouette towards the mouth of the cave.  
“Where are they, Rin.” Makoto said, anger building in his stomach. Although he was Rin’s closest partner in the ruling of their Siren pack, he strongly disagreed with his customs and the way he treated others. He always had. The only reason Rin kept him around was because he would lose half of the pack without him.  
“Oh, they’re perfectly fine if you’re worried that I hurt them or something. I know you would kill me right here if I did.” Rin said. His slick red hair looked like blood dripping down his neck, and his thick septum ring glinted as he spoke.  
“They’re just staying with me for a while. I have to teach them about what we Sirens do.” Rin casually toyed with a few items along the rocks in the cave.  
“... What did they do?” Makoto said.   
“They saved a human from that navy crew we took a day or two ago.” He said. His casualty disappeared immediately.  
“Well, I’m sure if I talked to them they wouldn’t do it again-” Makoto started, but Rin tsked and shook a finger at him.  
“This kind of behavior can only be learnt, Makoto. And I would know more than anyone that you were one of the hesitant ones to kill. So Gou and I will both help them, and they will be returned to you in no time.”  
“What do you want from this, Rin?” Ren and Ran had done things in the past, but Rin had never acted upon it. Makoto ran a hand over his face, regret washing over him. He knew how frail Ren and Ran were, how much they loved and cared for others. He couldn’t allow them to be ‘taught’ by Rin.  
“The sailor they saved. He did not seem hypnotized like usual. I want to know why.”  
“If I bring him here, will you release Ren and Ran?” Makoto asked. Rin knew damned well that Makoto had that sailor saved for a reason. Although Haru might not remember… While that sailor was important to Makoto, his siblings were more so and Rin knew it.  
“I guess, but you do realize they need to make their first kill soon or they will be banned.” Makoto nodded, sighing softly.  
“I want him here, and when we’re finished with him I want him to be their first kill.” Makoto nodded again, and Rin left. He slumped against the cave wall, head in his hands. He had waited his whole life to meet him again and yet… He had lost so much for it. His ran his hands through his hair before diving under the water, planning to get his siblings from Rin’s clutches no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPER short chapter. Sorry about that. More in the ones to come!


	6. An Unsuspected Meeting

Haru, after a large argument over the supposed prophecy, had ended up diving overboard on his own will. He had told them everything, from his family to the navy, and they told him that he was supposed to unite humans and sirens to live in peace. He scoffed at her, and it had led to him just wanting to get out. To be free again. So he jumped and swam, ignoring the shouting coming from behind him, and ignoring the fear of something coming from below. He felt like he was burning alive. He wanted to rewind time, rewind it to before he got on the boat. Before he joined the navy. Before he left his family behind…   
“You just have to imagine that no matter what, someone is swimming next to you, making sure you’re okay!”  
He suddenly ceased swimming, gasping for air, the memory catching him off guard. His head reeled, trying to remember the distant memory. He couldn’t remember who had told him that or when, but he knew that they were the reason he had come to love swimming. Although he thought it was slightly ridiculous to be imagining someone swimming besides you, he found it oddly comforting. He didn’t have many friends when he was younger, let alone ones that could swim. He looked back to make sure that the boat was still in sight, and timidly floated on his back, staring into the sky. It was so wide and hopeful. His mind wandered to his dream as a child; to swim every sea and explore every coastal town he could. To feel his feet in the sand for the rest of his life. He closed his eyes and felt the water go calm around him. Something brushed his back and he suddenly was snapped back into his reality. His mind was flooded with the images of sharp teeth and blood and tails. His heartbeat sped up, and his imaginary guardian friend was gone. He hurriedly began swimming again, back towards the boat and back towards everything he didn’t want to be. It was farther than he imagined, and before he was in earshot a hand suddenly came across his mouth. Haru felt as if he should be drowning, but he was being held afloat by something large. He was turned around to face the person, and stopped struggling momentarily. The man had put a finger across his lips, signaling Haru to be quiet. Haru wanted to scream, but if this was really what he thought it was he wouldn’t survive a second. He obliged, but swam several feet away once released.  
“You’re a Siren, right?” He asked. It was a stupid question. He knew this man was a Siren by the odd amount of beauty he seemed to have, especially for a particularly built male. His hair was light brown and slightly wavy, with bits of seaweed caught in it. His eyes were green, like small patches of grass he used to pick from around the pond when he was little. He noticed two rings on his upper ear, but no face piercings like the rest of the males he had seen before. The man nodded.  
“I told you we’d meet again one day Haru!” He said. Haru looked at him, confused not only from what he said but the fact that he somehow remembered him from somewhere.   
“What do you mean?” Haru said, backing away more. He was tiring from treading water, and would have to head back to the boat sooner than later if he was going to make it. But he was intrigued and terrified. If worst came to worst he would just drown and prove to them that he wasn’t the answer to some prophecy and become siren food.  
“You… Don’t remember me?” He said, looking hurt. Haru looked back, shaking his head.  
“No. I’ve never met a Siren before, and if I had I would have remembered. I would have… missing limbs or something.”   
“I’m not going to eat you!! I swear!!” He said. He then smiled sadly, looking into Haru’s eyes hopefully as if he could force him to remember something.  
“You… Really don’t remember?” Haru shook his head.  
“Well, I guess we can meet again. My name’s Makoto!” He said, smiling. He held out a hand to shake (how he stayed afloat was beyond Haru at this point), and when he took it he froze. Suddenly memories flooded back, the mackerel, the promise, the imaginary swimmer… And Makoto. Makoto who he saved, and who saved him in return. Makoto the mysterious boy he met.

Makoto the Siren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another... short... chapter.... I'm so sorry aaH
> 
> Also all the other chapters were pre-written so!! This is the end of the story so far lmAO  
> I'm going to do my best to try finishing this story, so any encouragement is welcome!!


End file.
